Public Relations Campaigns for Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption: A Study of Awareness Creation and Behaviour Change Among Nigerian Farmers

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of public relations (PR) campaigns in promoting the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) among Nigerian farmers. It specifically examines the relationship between strategic communication interventions and critical behavioural metrics, including awareness levels, behavioural intentions, and actual changes in farming practices.

Method: The research utilised a quasi-experimental design involving 412 farmers across six agricultural zones over eight months. Data collection was facilitated through validated questionnaires and behavioural observation tools. To determine the efficacy of the interventions, the study employed t-tests to compare exposed and control groups, regression analysis to assess the association between message frequency and behavioural intention, and chi-square tests to assess the association between message frequency and behavioural intention.

Results: Farmers exposed to integrated PR campaigns achieved 72.4% CSA awareness, a 37.8 percentage-point increase over the control group. Behavioural indices showed that exposed farmers adopted significantly more practices (4.7 vs. 1.8; t = 18.34, p < 0.001), with PR exposure explaining 68.7% of the variance in adoption rates (R² = 0.687). Digital channels outperformed traditional media with an 83.2% message retention rate. Furthermore, message frequency was a major factor: farmers with 5 or more exposures had an 81.5% likelihood of adoption. Trust served as a vital mediator: extension-verified messages led to a 77.9% adoption rate, compared with only 42.1% for unverified content.

Conclusion: The study concludes that strategic PR campaigns are highly effective in bridging the gap between awareness and behaviour in agricultural sustainability transitions. The findings emphasise that high message frequency and the use of trusted, verified information sources are essential for driving actual practice changes. These results provide empirical evidence for policymakers and agricultural communicators to design more effective, digital-forward, and trust-based interventions for Nigerian smallholders.